Welcome!

[Keira]

Prologue

Rain splattered on the water as the army of brown-coated soldiers got out of the small fleet of boats. They marched into the village, with rifles over their soldiers, in a mechanical unison. In the rain there was no sign of life besides them, but a faint sound of locks clicking was just barely distinguishable. The general's horse whinnied and reared at the village, almost as if on cue. Its rider, with a clean shaven face and grey hair, shouted something only the soldiers could hear over the roar of the wind and rain, and they ran into the square and began flooding into the houses like water into a gutter, breaking doors and windows to get in. They found their prey in a victorian home, cowering near the fire, holding a poker at arm's length. The general came forth, holding hand-cuffs.

A baby lay wailing in a laundry basket, towels stacked on top of it to muffle the sound. The door to the linen closet was sealed behind wallpaper, and a mousehole leading down to the cellar was the baby's only source of air. It had been put there in hopes of saving it, as the village got wind of the army not far from there. The wallpaper was messily put on and with seems clearly visible. But with the chaos outside, any passing soldier would not have heeded it.

Hours passed and the commotion died down. The village was left broken with doors torn down, windows smashed, and every chest and trunk and property was taken to the river to be thrown into it after it was searched for money. The mayor was taken aboard the general's boat, hand-cuffed, but standing tall. Soldiers were searching the village for any other people or valuable property. One entered the house where the baby remained hidden. With no grand noise, the crying of it was audible to the keen-eared soldier. It searched the house looking for the source of the noise, and paced the hallway of the closet until it noticed the wallpaper. Ripping it down and opening the door, the baby was easily seen. But instead of killing it then and there, he wrapped the baby up and took it to the general.

"General, I found an infant in the closet of one of the houses, what are your orders, sir?" asked the soldier.

"Take it to the river and cast it amongst the rest of the filth to be drowned." The soldier nodded and proceeded to the river, where trunks and tables and barrels of wine lay. It opened a trunk and fired two holes through the lid and laid the baby carefully in it.

"These are being floated to Merthra were they will be discharged to the sea. I hope they find you there, child," said the soldier softly. The baby smiled and laughed at its mother's voice before the lid was shut and it was laid gently into the water.

[Keira]

Chapter 1

"Miss Veronica! What are you doing?" whispered the butler, Charles. A young woman in a yellow dress and dark tresses falling from a large knot in the back of her head glided silently down the hallway as if frightened from something with nothing in her hands besides her skirts. She stopped at the end of the hallway and paused as if listening for something. The butler's frantic calls turned her around with a pleading expression and held a slender finger to her lips, then continued down the dark corridor.

"Miss Veronica, come back here!" cried the butler louder. In the dark passage, he was silhouetted in the doorway of Veronica's room with a black tailcoat and a dark green ribbon pulling back his long hair neatly. The lady stopped and listened for a moment, but the house was still and quiet.

"Miss Veronica!" Charles lost control and began yelling her name through the echoing hallway. The lady clenched her teeth for the curses and rustles could be heard from the door near which Veronica stood. She stood frozen momentarily and ran from the hallway down the banister and out into the pouring rain. Veronica stood there and looked upon the fine mansion that only a noble could aquire. It was a grand home which many people wanted which she was leaving behind. But what she yerned for most was not inside that house. She turned around and looked into the streets that were covered in rain. Standing there, she looked up at the sky in the middle of the cobblestone road, and released her skirts, stretching her arms up into the sky. She smiled and let the cool water drip onto her skin and spot her dress.

The banging of someone on the banister inside brought her back from her jubilance, and she turned, frowning, and ran down the street into the night.

***
"Where was she last seen, Mr. Burks?"

"Charles claims he saw her running out the door just last night."

"Which way did she go?"

"We didn't see. When we got outside she had gone. But please, do what you can to find my only daughter."

***
Veronica found herself in the shabby part of town, with old pubs, delapidated old houses, and the silversmith's shop. All the buildings had pealing pain and crumbling steps. The wood was so close to rotting it was a miracle that some of them were even standing. A handfull of them had second floors which Veronica would never feel safe in. But she realized that she could not spend the night in the streets and so went into one of the pubs called the Black Beetle. It was musty and packed with sailors that just returned to their journeys over seas. It was the kind of place the made Veronica feel awkward and out of place. Everyone there was either drunk, or well on their was to becoming drunk, and if she wasn't watching her back, she was sure to get into trouble. Veronica went up to the bartender, an old shadey man with a stubbley beard and a drunk look.

"Do you have accomodations?" she asked. The bartender nodded and rang the bell.

"Ol' Tom! Come 'ere! We gots ourselves a lass in need o' some room for the night!" A scruffy looking man stumbled out of the bathroom, swaying in a drunken fashion. The coat he wore was very moldy and speckled with green that Veronica was sure was not there when he bought the coat. His words were slurred and hardly distinguishable from one another.

"Commefollowwmee. I'llshowyoutoyourroooom." Veronica was taken aback by the smell of him; he smelled as if he had lived in a pigsty for the past decade. But she followed him nontheless up the creaky stairs to the second landing. The hall was very dark and quiet, but she didn't think it would be anything different. It was an unsaid rule that there was absolutely no talking. The floor creaked something terrible, but it wasn't to the point of collapsing - yet, anyway. A washmaid was just coming out of the laundry room, pushing a wooden cart lined with burlap, and piled with clean clothes (if that was the word to describe them).

"C'mon prittee." Veronica again followed the drunk man down the corridor.

He led her to a dimly lit room. A single candle burned on the nightstand next to a bed that looked as if the sheets hadn't been changed in a hundred years. It was a tiny room hardly fit for a worm, but it was the last place her father would expect her.

***
Later when Tom had left and the pub had closed for the night, Veronica left her room and crept down the hallway. Torches were lit periodically down it, illuminating it with an eerie light. She stopped at the first doorway from the stairs and peered into the laundry room. It was dark. She took a torch from the bracket and stepped inside.

The air in there was damp and smelled strongly of mildew. The wallpaper was peeling and mold was growing along cracks in the celing. A big wood tub was centered in the room, filled with clothes laying in the soap. The cart was by the door, filled once again with clean seaman's clothes. Veronica looked through the laundry basket, and found what she was looking for. Quickly, she stowed them in her many layers of skirts, and left.

***
"Oy! Chap!" cried the bartender in the morning as Veronica went down to breakfast. "What room are you in? I din't see you las' night!" She looked behind her to see if the bartender was talking to someone else, then remembered what she had done the previous night. Quickly, she tried to make her voice slightly deeper and replied, "Room seventeen. You had Tom take me there last night, or maybe you were just as drunk and don't remember?" The bar became quiet. No one had ever called the bartender drunk without getting into trouble.

"What did you say?" said the bartender, slamming down the mug he was drying. Veronica stood her ground.

"You heard what I said. I think the drinks affect your hearing as well." That ticked off the bartender, and he took the sword out of the scabbard on the mantle. But Veronica, though a young woman, had begged her father to teach her swordsmanship when she was very young. By now she was very well practiced.

She drew her sword and engaged in a boisterous combat between her and the bartender. Almost as soon as they had begun to duel, the accordian and fiddle struck up and began to play, so soon the agressive fight became a friendly one that ended with Tom smashing an empty bottle over the poor bartender's head.

[Keira]

Chapter 2

Knock! Knock!

"Charles! May I enter?" asked Mr. Burks through the door to the Butler's Room. Silence filled the hallway. He knocked on the door again, and tried to jiggle the locked knob. It was midafternoon, the day after Veronica ran away.

"Charles, are you in there?" Mr. Burks said, rapping harshly on the wood. There was still no answer from within the door. Mr. Burks waited a moment before banging on the door yelling, "CHARLES! I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE! OPEN THIS DOOR BEFORE I THROW YOU INTO THE STREETS!" Still, the corridor was quiet. Mr. Burks gave up and began cursing down the hallway, as he usually did when he didn't know where Charles was.

"Were you calling, Mr. Burks?" asked a polite voice down the hallway. Charles' head poked out of the Butler's Room.

"Quite sorry. Must've been in the lavatory when you called. The door's rather thick in there. You might want to replace it. Anyway, what did you want?" Mr. Burks looked rather exasperated and began trapsing back up the corridor, his feathered hat bobbing up and down on his head.

***
"Would you care for some tea, Mr. Burks. I just took the kettle off the stove."

"No thank you." Charles looked a bit injured, because he knew nobody liked his German tea, and he was used to all the "no thank you"s but they were all such polite "no thank you"s that they were taken as nasty "no thank you"s. After all, it is sometimes nicer to hear a mean "no thank you" than a very polite "no thank you". It was this way, at least, to Charles.

Mr. Burks was too busy organizing his thoughts to see the wounded expression on his head butler's face.

"Now, I know that you were the last one to see Veronica last night," said Mr. Burks, watching Charles put a lump of sugar in his tea.

"That I was indeed, Mr. Burks."

"Tell me, do you know any reason that she ran away?"

Charles put on a sly grin and said, "I don't know why she ran away, but I have my suspicions." Mr. Burks raised his head from his chest.

"What are your suspicions?" he asked sharply. Charles' grin remained fixed, which bothered Mr. Banks very much, but he let the butler continue as he was very eager to hear what he had to say.

"Well, I'm not going to point fingers at who caused her to run away, but a series of events made me believe that it was this person's fault." Mr. Burks rolled his eyes at the drama Charles put into his speech. He always though Charles was overdramatic when he discussed what the butler called "little mysteries".

"Yesterday, she was sitting in the parlor with her fiance, Mr. Brown. They were sitting across from one another, talking in low whispers." Here Charles paused for effect, then continued, while Mr. Burk sighed.

"I passed by, not thinking anything of it and went about my duties as you told me sir. It was not until just before dinner that I began to think what a strange thing it was. Usually they don't have the door open only a crack. It is almost always open all the way. Secondly, Mr. Brown had a traveling bag in his hand. That could only have meant that he was going to leave. The maids are usually notified of such things as people leaving around the house, so that they can clean their room and cover the tables and things with linens. But when I went into Mr. Brown's room, nothing had been cleaned, and nothing had been covered with linen.

"Then at dinner, I saw Miss Veronica with red eyes (I'm sure you did too) and Mr. Brown was absent (you didn't mention anything about that, so I assumed you knew why he was gone. But later you asked me why Mr. Brown wasn't at dinner, so I began to wonder where he had gone. Last night, I saw a candle lit in Miss Veronica's room when I was going to bed. I went in and asked her if she wanted me to take her dress then to the laundry room, but fancy, she was still wearing it at whatever late hour that was.

"'Miss Veronica' I said, 'When do you intend on going to bed?' I didn't mean to scold her, but I guess she thought I did for she replied 'It isn't any of your business really, whether I go to bed or not.' So I left and went to bed. At some ungodly hour I woke to hear a rustling so I went to see what it was and would you believe it or not, she was at the end of the hall in her dress acting as if she were to run away!" Mr. Burks sat, pale and stricken.

"Thank you for your efforts, but I must go now," he said, "Thank you for the tea." Charles nodded and sat puzzled as to why Mr. Burks thanked him for what he hadn't had.

[Keira]

Chapter 3

Earlier in the morning before she ran away, Elizabeth sat in the parlor with her fiance. The pink sofas were facing each other, each on either side of the large window that looked upon the harbor.

"Lee, You musn't. I really --" began Veronica but Lee Brown cut in.

"Yes, I must. Your father will have my head if I'm here when he finds out." Lee's brown hair fell in front of his eyes as it was not in its usual ponytail and black ribbon. Veronica brushed it out of his face and leaned closer to him.

"Lee, really, he will understand. It was to save Governor Banks, wasn't it? Governor has always favored the Burks and any relations with us. He holds us in high regards. Just stay. I'll take care of it." Lee pushed her hand away and arose.

"Veronica. I love you. And I will not let you have the pain of seeing me beheaded. I must go if I am to marry you. I will be heading to Matalla. I will send for you, and then marry you. Wait here. I am leaving tonight. For now I'll be staying at the Apple's Inn across the bay. And then tomorrow evening I'll be leaving."

"But if I can set it straight here --"

"There's no question of that. There's nothing for me in Merthra besides the executer. Let me go." Lee turned and left through the parlor door. Veronica sat quietly with her chin in her palm, and her other arm across her lap. She looked out at the dock for a long time until she saw Lee Brown going to the ferry. She couldn't watch anymore and left for lunch.

***
"Father, what happens to someone who steal from the governor?" asked Veronica later at lunch. Her father looked oddly at her.

"It depends on the purpose. What purpose did you have in mind?" inquired her father.

"What if it was to save the governor?" Veronica took a bite of her pork. Mr. Burks slided his lower jaw and set down his own fork. He furrowed his brow and replied.

"Is this about the theft of Governor Banks' money? That was over six thousand gold coins stolen. The punishment would surely be execution by beheading. How can stealing six thousand gold coins be saving the governor? Why do you bring it up?" asked the curious father. Veronica feared he would ask this. She knew she couldn't lie to her father - he knew her too well. But she tried anyway.

"Because I would hate to see a man be beheaded. I know we would have to be there, but I really can't." Her father looked her in the eye.

"Veronica, I know you're lying. Tell me why you asked. Do you know who did it?" Veronica felt a tear trickle down her cheek. She couldn't tell him. She couldn't.

"Veronica, what is it? Tell me. I won't tell anyone!" begged Mr. Burks. Veronica covered her face with her hands and breathed deeply.

"I know who did it. And it's not who you'd expect," she said throught her silent tears. Her father looked crossly at her.

"What do you mean?" She uncovered her face and rested her hands on either side of her plate.

"It was Lee," she said her tears falling thicker, and beginning to creep into her voice. "He stole the money from the governor. But it wasn't for himself. He's not like that, he would never steal anything for himself. It was to save Governor Banks, not hurt him."

"And just how did it save him, may I inquire?" By now tears were streaming down Veronica's face, and she was sobbing as she talked.

"Just last week Lee ran into a man in the market. The man didn't say his name or where he was from, but he told Lee that the governor had three days to pay them with six thousand gold coins or they would kill him. Lee asked if the governor knew, but the man didn't say anything. So Lee said he would go to the governor and ask for the six thousand coins. But you know how the governor would never buy that, so he went and stole it. The man was pleased and so they left Merthra." Mr. Burks looked stunned.

"Veronica, you kept saying 'they'. Whatever do you mean?" Elizabeth looked around unnecessarily for people, before whispering, "The last crew of Pirates."

***
"Veronica, I know that Lee is your fiance, and that he intended to do good, but I must tell the Governor. I don't know what Lee's punishment will be, but I must tell the governor. It might save much more bloodshed than necessary. You must come with me tomorrow." Veronica stopped as they walked throught the hallway frozen.

"You swore you wouldn't tell anyone!" she shouted in rage. Her father stopped too. He looked older and greyer than he did ten minutes ago.

"Father, you promised," said Veronica sadly.

"Veronica, you must understand, this is much more than I thought it was. The governor will want to know. We will go to him tomorrow and tell him," said Mr. Burks.

"If I'm still here," muttered Veronica running off to her room.

[Keira]

Chapter 4

Veronica pulled the bartender into a chair, and then put her pay onto his lap before crossing the bustling pub out the door into the street. The air was thick and foggy, and the little shacks that were called fishing houses (though they had long not seen a fishing pole or net) seemed to be dangerously tilted to one side as the weight of the fog crashed down on their dilapidated old walls and added to the mold that grew on the roof. The moss climbing on them was bright green and restored of its life. Veronica continued along the path. The cobblestones leading out to the bay were badly placed and spaced out at different lengths so that one had to watch one's steps or else your nose would be introduced to the ground. Indeed, Veronica was so busy watching her step that she didn't see the great obstrusity until she bumped into a man. She gasped as the wind was knocked out of her. It was a large man she bumped into, with a black bandana covering his greasy, bald head. The man was dressed similarly as herself. He had high, pointed boots and a loose, white button-down shirt. Veronica did not doubt in the slightest that she had bumped into one of the last pirates in the world.

"Hello Laddy!" barked the pirate, advancing on her. Veronica stumbled backward reaching desperately for her sword, but tripped over a cobblestone and fell backwards onto the ground panting, landing hard and ripping the elbows of her shirt against the edges of the pavement. Her seaman's hat fell off, allowing her hair to spill out with it. Quickly, she pulled on her hat hoping that for some wild reason the pirate didn't see her hair, drew her sword, and made to her feet. The pirate grinned.

"Looks like we got a young lass with us today, aye?" he called over Veronica's head. She turned quickly around and saw other pirates, much skinnier and leaner than the first, but pirates none the less, with all of their scabbards drawn, and closing in on her. She panicked and began thrashing about, trying a mad escape attempt - without avail. As they drew close, she flailed around clanging several swords before the fat pirate whom she had first bumped into took the hilt of his blade and swatted her hard over the head.

***
"Cap'n Cursoe, we found a lass by the dock. Whats your orders being?" Veronica woke to find herself being dragged on the deck of an old, moldy pirate boat by one of the pirates - the fat one. She was subconsciously clutching his hand to keep herself from the ground as he dragged her by the front of her sailor's coat. Her hair was free and down, but they had done the liberty of putting her hat back on. However, another one of the pirates was holding her sword. Other pirates - many more than there were on the dock - were on deck around her and the fat pirate, gawking at her like she was some piece of roadkill.

"Let me go!" shouted Veronica desperately, not knowing what else one should say when they are captured by pirates, whether she should say something very stupid (as she already did) or cry out some undistinguishable war cry and bravely attempt escape. Since she didn't know any war cries she went with the stupid. They all laughed. The captain stepped forward, and she immediately hated him. He had a deep sea blue hat with a black feather sticking out of it. His coat was the same deep sea blue and unbuttoned to a white shirt, also half unbuttoned over a loose tie around his neck that was turned brown and moldy. His face was unshaven, but hardly enough to be called a beard - more like stubble. His eyes were black as beetles but as cold as the bottom of the ocean.

"Cursoe... I know that name. Yes, Lee has told me of you. I would like you to know that I never gave a name for the man who plotted against the govorner - the man who nearly, and possibly did get Lee beheaded! I think I've done you a favor. Perhaps you can do me one and let me off this ship at Merthra, aye?" she said mimmicking the pirate's talk.

"Aye, lass. What be your name?" he asked bending down closely so that Veronica could smell the stench of rum and wine, and acting like he didn't here what she said.

"Why?" she asked craning her neck to see the captain properly. He smiled and stood up.

"If yere going to be on my ship as a servant, I might as well know yere name, aye?" he said, his arms stretched open as if in innocence. Veronica spat at his feet and desperately tried to kick him in the ribs, but she found her legs tied together, and her hands were in shackles, though they were slightly long ones.

"You will never know my name," she said confidently, though she was a lot less than she sounded. Captain Cursoe threw his head back and laughed a cruel cackle.

"Then you will never know day again. You shall waste away at the bottom of my ship, trapped behind bars with your hands locked to the wall, and when we are at war with other ships, you shall feel the water up to your neck when a hole is blown in the ship. Now would you like to tell me your name, and only live a life of solitude as a servant for your captain?" Veronica wrinkled her nose in disgust, as Captain Cursoe nodded to the fat pirate and he dropped her on the ground. She propped herself on her arms as much as she could with them chained together, and answered, "Veronica. My name is Veronica." The pirates laughed and Captain Cursoe stepped forward a bit.

"Well, Veronica - welcome to the crew!" and then he turned and walked away along with the crew leaving Veronica lying helplessly on the deck, unable to move from the bruises all over her, and the bindings on her wrists and ankles.

***
She lay all the rest of the day alone, unaccompanied, but by the fat pirate, who, whenever she moved, beat her down with his fist.

After many long hours the captain came back.

"We've spotted the Dark Waters! Load the cannons!" he cried to the crew. "Miss Burks!" he barked at Veronica, "Pull the great cannon up from the depths of our ship! Now!" The fat pirate unlocked her shackles and cut her bindings off her boots. She stood up rubbing her wrists and faced the captain.

"You cannot expect me to lift what ten man can't, can you? So why do you ask?" she said at Cursoe. He grinned cruelly and said, "Just do it! Or I'll strap you the bottom of this ship!"

Veronica turned and saw a sight that nearly made her faint; a ship at least twice the size of the one she was on, with ripped grey sails, and large sea serpents on the ends of the black painted hull. There was a deep sense of foreboding about it, even if it was very far off, and she did not hesitate to do as she was ordered, as long as it would stop the ship from entering her line of vision, frightened by the appearance.

The captain came up from behind her and pushed her towards the pulleys that would drag the cannon up. She grabbed one and pulled with all her might, but nothing moved. She tried the other pulleys, but again, it didn’t work. Finally she went to the captain.

“Captain, you have indeed assigned a task to me that is impossible for one man to do. I cannot do your bidding.” Captain Cursoe smirked.

“Do you give up so easily at everything?” he asked bending in close to her. Veronica looked around and cocked her head.

“I don’t know what you mean.” The captain continued his vile smirk.

“Oh, I think you do. Now be a doll and answer the question,” he said.

Veronica raised her eyebrows and answered decidedly unpleasantly, “No, but why should I do something impossible for an evil man?” The captain grinned and chuckled.

“You shouldn’t do anything for a vile man, but for a nice man like me, I fail to see why you shouldn’t do anything I ask you to.” He grinned and pushed her to the cannon.

“Do it, or you’ll be facing the shackles down below,” Captain Cursoe barked. Veronica looked at the cannon pulleys and then began to tug at them, but again, she couldn’t.

“Captain,” she called over her shoulder as she worked, trying to sound as if she didn't mind the labour she was doing. “What happens if I can’t pull it up?” She turned back to what she was doing, even though she knew she would never be able to do it.

“Well, Miss Burks, if you can’t do it – and it seems like you can’t – try manning the smaller cannons below. The Dark Waters shan’t be in range until nightfall at the speed we’re heading. But until then, the mop has a date with you below deck. You might as well be useful in the meantime.” The captain threw back his head and laughed. The fat pirate came over, took her in a full nelson, and then threw her down the stairs into the belly of the ship.

There was a short, narrow hallway that ended with a dead end. Little wood doors lined it, each with a hole big enough to stick one's hand through in the center. All had heavy bolts locking them that required a key, which stupidly hung at the beginning of the hallway. A large door led off to other areas of opposite the stairs.It stank of mildew down there, and of decaying wood.

"This bloody, good for nothing, vile, smelly, ship!" she shouted at the door, knowing it would do no good, but relieved some stress. She sniffed the fowl air and said to herself, "It's a miracle this ship is even floating." She began to mop the floor, though it hardly did any good with the amount of grit and grime all over the mop.

"Veronica!" shouted someone at the end of the empty room. Veronica looked around, but no one was in the vicinity. She went back to her mopping after a couple minutes, but just then her name was called again. She began walking down the hallway, leavin the mop behind. She peered into each one until she got to the second to last one which had and occupant in the small wooden room. There was about four square feet of floor space, and no windows.

"Lee, why are you here?" she asked the man in the room. He looked up, his hair flopping into his eyes. Veronica reached her hand in and swept his hair away. He smiled and held her hand.

"Why are you?" he asked. She rolled her eyes and smiled back.

"You would think with six thousand gold coins they would be smart enough to get a new ship. They really must have thick skulls." She paused and looked down at her feet. There was silence between them for what seemed like ages.

"Get away from here, Veronica!" demanded Lee suddenly. He pushed her hand out. "Go to shore, away from this ship!" Veronica stood stunned at Lee's sudden outburst. She nodded.

"But not until I help you escape. I'll do it tonight. The dumb pirates have the key hanging on the hook over there. It shouldn't be that hard." She went back to the mop and bucket and began doing what she was asked to do by the pirates.

[Keira]

Chapter 5

In Progress of Editing - DON'T READ until this message is taken away.

"Lee!" whispered Veronica through the hole. It was dark, and difficult to see. Veronica looked into the hole and saw the silhouette of him. She sighed with relief and said slightly louder, "I'm going to get the key!" Veronica hurried silently down the hallway and grabbed the key off the hook. It was cold and had a twisted end, not unlike a screw. She fit the key in the lock and opened the door with a click!

"Lee! Lee!" she said and she went in and flung her arms around the man inside. But it was not who she thought it was.

"Captain Cursoe figured you would do this. Not something you want to do, I think," said a gruff voice. Veronica looked at the face of the man in her arms and she immediately let go and stepped back. The bartender stepped out and drew his scabbard. Veronica tripped over a loose board and fell backwards. She remembered the last time she was in this situation, and it didn't bode well with her. Even though now there weren't any more pirates, she didn't have her sword and was helpless.

"Why are you here?" she demanded. The bartender sneered and moved closer.

"I've been working as a crewman for nearly eighteen years, my real name's Normn. I was only at the bar to make sure you got here. We've been expecting you. The captain would like to see you now." Normn pulled her to her feet and held her with his blade at her neck. He led her down the hallway and through the door into another musty old hallway. There were several cabins along it, and at the end was a large heavy door with a brass doorknocker shaped like the outline of a clam. Normn knocked harshly.

"Come in."

They went into the cabin with a large hammock on one end. There was a big table in the middle laden with papers and quills. Captain Cursoe sat at it with his feet up on the tabletop, eating a dried pear.

"Veronica, Lass. Don't be shy, pull up a chair." He gestured at the knobby wooden chair at opposite him on the table.

"And Mr. Normn, if you don't mind," he said nodding at the door. Normn left, closing the door to Veronica and Captain Cursoe.

"Now, Lass, why don't you sit down, and I'll tell you what we want with you." Veronica didn't move.


Captain Cursoe took Veronica up on deck, where a crowd of pirates stood around something.

"Make way for us!" shouted the captain and Veronica got into the middle of the circle. There to her horror was Lee Brown, her beloved fiance, bound at the hands and feet with a dirty cloth tied around his head in his mouth.

"Lee!" she cried and broke free of Cursoe's grip. She knelt down beside him and brushed the hair out of his eyes. He could not speak, and she could not for the horrible choking sensation in her throat. Before she could say anything to him, the fat pirate hauled her up and threw her to the captain. who held her hands behind her back and put his blade over her chest to hold her back. The fat pirate then pulled Lee to his feet and loosened the bonds on his feet enough so that he could walk ridiculously, but walk he could. The pirates pushed him to the edge of the boat. Veronica tried desperately to break free of Cursoe's grasp but this time she was unsuccessful. She could only watch as they tightened Mr. Brown's bonds again and push him over the edge.

"Lee!" she screamed, "No! What did you do?" Adrenaline rushed through her bloodstream and she broke free of Cursoe's hands, pushing the sword out of the way, and then ran to the side of the boat.

"Lee!" she screamed again as she looked over the edge of the boat at Lee struggling in the water, the weight of his boots dragging him to the bottom of the bay. Veronica started to take off her own and go diving in after him.

“I’m coming!” she shouted frantically, but the captain grabbed her tightly over the mouth and around the shoulders. She struggled to break free again, but Cursoe was ready, and stronger than her. Captain Cursoe laughed maniacally at the look of pain on her face as she watched her beloved fiancé fall into the dark bay bottom, now limp as a dead fish. Overwhelmed by grief she considered herself subdued and surrendered to the captain’s strength, and let him pull her away below deck.

She was numb as the captain threw her in one of the little wooden rooms in the hallway, and numb as the day grew old. A trying day it had been, and by the time she had been given some moldy bread for supper, she released the tears that had longed to come out the minute she had lost her husband-to-be. She didn’t care now that she was on some pirate ship, doomed to play some part in the scheme against the governor, and she didn’t care that she was miles from home, now near the mouth of the bay. All she cared about was that her dear Lee was gone forever to the bottom of the water, never to be seen by her again. And so she wept away the remainder of the day, until tears exhausted her into a grief-cursed sleep full of wild fantasies that were intruded upon by the image of Lee falling through the water.

[Keira]

Chapter 6

Loud bangings of cannons and gunfires startled Veronica out of her restless sleep. There were shouts and screams coming from all directions of the ship. She gasped and breathed like she had nearly been suffocated, and braced herself agains both sides of the wall to keep herself from falling, what with the violent rocking of the ship. She heard an especially loud bang in the little room next to her, and next thing she knew she was on her hands and knees outside in the hallway. The force that knocked the walls down also knocked the wind out of her, but the air was dusty, and made her cough something terrible. She felt dizzy and odd, but another cannon blasting through the wall got her up from the floor and scrambling up the stairs with her hands over her ears.

It was a bright and sunny day, reflecting the opposite of what Veronica felt, but she could hardly see the sky now for the smoke and dust that whirled about in the air around them.

"Captain Curose!" shouted Veronica over the thundering cannons, "The Dark Waters - I thought you said there were no pirates besides you and the crew!" She and he ducked below a piece of wood that had been blasted from the opposing ship - the same one that had been on the horizon the two days ago. It had certainly taken longer than expected to come, but up close, it was much more terrifying. It's grey sails seemed manacing, and somehow the wind pushed it despite the rips it had in it. The green sea serpants on each end seemed ready to swallow the ship that Veronica was on, which seemed miniature compared to the mighty vessel that bore down on them. The sight really did make Veronica faint this time. She collapsed on the deck, while other people ran around her, doing the captain's bidding.

***
It was a long time before Veronica woke. She found herself on deck, still unnoticed, and forgotten. The Dark Waters was gone, no where to be seen, but the ship was in terrible condition. She looked around at the damage the fight had caused. There were giant holes in the sides, she could see when she peered over the edge. A few people were dead on deck. She quickly averted her eyes to the greusome sight, and went down below deck. The hallway was piled six inches deep with rubble and dust from several rooms that were blasted apart. Not a soul was to be seen outside of the cabins.

Veronica knocked on the captain's door sharply, and went inside without an answer. Cursoe was sitting with his hands over his face, leaning on the table.

"Captain Cusoe," said Veronica timidly. He didn't move. "Captain, what are you going to do about the ship? She'll sink if we don't make port and patch her up." Veronica sat down in the knobby chair. He still didn't move. "Really, we must!" said Veronica, getting up and moving over to him, so that he could hear her better. "Captain Cursoe, can you hear me?" she asked, right next to him.

Suddenly the captain turned to her and became far too close - way too close to be allowed by her, but she couldn't push him away. His vile face was right next to her's and she could smell the stench of wine far to much. It was a moment of incredible tourture. When Cursoe finally moved away, Veronica was thoroughly disgusted, and backed against the opposite wall near the door.

"You dispicable creature!" shouted Veronica at him, "I don't care whether this ship sinks or floats, just as long as I'm off of it!" She went up to him and slapped him across the face before leaving and slamming the door behind her. She ran up the stairs to the deck and looked madly around for some sort of boat that she could use to take her to shore - wherever shore was. She found a lifeboat with oars in it and quickly hoisted it into the water with great difficulty. There were a few provisions in it and a skin holding water, enough to last a day, maybe two. Snatching up a compass from the wheel, she went down the ladder into the little boat, and untied the rope.

***
By nightfall she was far away from the ship, heading to the bay. There was still no sign of the mouth of it, but she could feel it was getting closer. She had already eaten half of the food supply, and the rest was rapidly beginning to spoil. Veronica's eyelids were beginning to droop from her lack of sleep, but she could not go to sleep or she would surely get lost. She prayed that some ship would come and find her, but the chances of that were very slim. More likely than not she would be stuck out in the ocean for more than her food would last her. She ate nothing the next day, but spent it rowing amid vomiting from the heat.

The night brought good news. Veronica finally saw the gulls that never flew more than a few miles from shore. She smiled and was rejuvinated by the thought of land. Quickening her pace she rowed faster, into the mouth of the bay. Land was near.

By morning she had come to the shore and went to find some food. The market was closed, and a curious feeling came over Veronica. She had not known what day it was for nearly five days. It must have been Sunday.

All that morning she wandered around the houses, knocking at each door asking for some food. Everyone turned her down but for one family. She knocked on their door and a pleasantly plump woman answered.

"What would a sailor be wanting at our house?" she asked Veronica with her braided hair, and tanned face. She answered, "A sailor would be wanting some food and rest which has been denied of him for nearly a day." The woman smiled and called over her shoulder.

"Harry! Harry, theres a sailor here in need of rest! Would you get the pan going and the couch set up for him!" The lady took Veronica's hand and took her inside. It was a cozy home with three rooms on each of the two floors. The first floor had a kitchen, a livingroom, and a dining room. Upstairs were the bedrooms. The woman took Veronica to the dining room where she sat down and ate the eggs that the husband, Harry had made for her. The wife sat down, and was soon followed by two little girls.

"Now, what's your name?" asked the wife as they all watched Veronica eat. The lady cought her just as she had put some food in her mouth, and Veronica nearly choked as she tried to chew and swallow at the same time.

"Veronica!" she blurted out amidst her coughing. The family looked taken aback.

"Veronica..." said the wife. "Not a name commonly used among young men. What's your last name?" Veronica suddenly realized why they were looking at her so strangly after she told them her name. She had forgotten she was still wearing a sailor's attire, and had her hair pulled back as a male sailor would. She chuckled and replied.

"Veronica Burks," she said, "I'm the daughter of a nobleman in Merthra. I'm not really a sailor at all. I was running from my father, and dressed as one so he wouldn't find me. But please don't send word to him I'm here."

"Why not?" asked the wife. Veronica closed her eyes and tried to remember why she had run in the first place. It had been long since she had had enough room in her brain to remember anything. Finally she came up with her reason and explained it. But when she said Lee's name, she stopped, and felt her throat get very tight. She tried to go on, but the words stuck and wouldn't come out. The wife understood enough though and saved her from explanation.

"I see. Well, my name is Whilma Irn, and this is my husband, Harry Irn. These are my two daughters, Erin and Julia. I'm sure you'll all get along nicely." She nodded to the girls.

When Veronica had finished she went with the girls into the living room. They had fun pulling her boots off and playing with her hat, like an old friend after they had returned from a long journey. They pestered her with questions about living in a nice big house with people waiting to serve on her.

"Well," began Veronica, feeling right at home in there small little house, "I have a butler named Charles who comes and brings orders to the cook about what I want for breakfast or lunch or dinner, and whether I want biscuits or rasberry jam cakes with my afternoon tea. It's very nice, although sometimes it's annoying and bothersome with all these people around the house. And when I'm in my room reading or writing letters and they come in to take laundry out or dust. I'd rather do it myself at my own leisure instead of having them interupting me." Erin and Julia sat fantasizing over having their own butlers and maids and cooks (though Mrs. Irn was an excellent cook).

"How did you get all the way over here from the other side of the bay?" asked Julia contemplating with a very funny look that young childeren get when they think hard about things.

"I was captured by pirates!" said Veronica mysteriously. Both girls looked up at her wide eyed, and gasped.

"What happened!" said Erin, shocked. Veronica launched into the story. The little girls sat on the floor, taking in every word, and reacting perfectly. They gasped at all the scary parts and when something turned out right, they let out their breath in relief. When she finally reached the end, Erin and Julia sat in silence. Finally, Julia spoke up.

"I'm sorry that your boyfriend died," she said.

"Yeah, me too," chimed in Erin. Veronica nodded her thanks and sighed. She smiled and took her hat off, and plopped it on Julia's head. She took her boots off and then slid them onto Erin's feet. Both girls stood up next to each other. Finally, Veronica took her sailor's coat off and placed it over both girl's shoulders. They giggled and danced around together singing old sailor's songs. Veronica watched from the couch and laughed at the sight of them being so jolly.

When the girls had to go to bed, both begged their mother to let Veronica sleep in their room. The arguement lasted over fifteen minutes before the girls were sent off to bed dissapointed. Veronica insisted then upon helping Mrs. Irn clean the kitchen.

"Interesting story you had there, Veronica. I heard you telling the girls," Whilma said.

"Yes," said Veronica, yawning.

"We have the couch set up in the living room for you if you want to sleep there," said Mrs. Irn. Veronica nodded and went to the living room where she took off her coat, boots and hat, and went to bed.

[Keira]

Chapter 7

It was a dark rainy night over Merthra, before Veronica had reached Matalla. The wind howled eerily like in the children's ghost stories, but more frightening, as it was happening then.

Mr. Burks opened the front door and let the stranger in. He wore a heavy grey cloak that covered his face and clothes, so that only the tips of his pointed boots protruded from underneth the cloth.

"I need to speak with your butler alone," he said. Mr. Burks nodded and replied, "I'll take you up to his room. Follow me." Mr. Burks took the stranger up the stairs and down the dark hall to the Butler's Room.

"Charles!" he called through the door. "Charles, you have a visitor!" The door creaked open and Charles poked his head through, looking around for the stranger. When he saw him, he immediatly opened the door all the way and let him in.

"I'll send him back downstairs when we're done," Charles said to Mr. Burks, bowing, as the stranger passed over the threshold.

"Now, what is it you want, Cursoe?" demanded Charles, when Mr. Burks had left and the door was shut. The stranger uncloaked himself and put on a hat that was lying on the chair next to him. "Do you have my payment for turning in Veronica's position to you?" asked Charles. Cursoe's sea blue coat was laid by it's owner on the chair where the hat had been.

"Now, don't be to demanding, my dear Selrahc. I do have your payment, but I have news for you too," Cursoe said to the butler. Charles clenched the back of the chair he was about to sit down in.

"My name is Charles here," he said through gritted teeth. Cursoe grinned and picked up an apple from the basket in the middle of the coffee table.

"I'm your captain, I might as well call you by your pirate name. Now, the news. Has the lass returned here yet?" Charles shook his head.

"Didn't think so," continued Cursoe. "Well, it just so happens that she left our ship, just yester's eve. She took the lifeboat. I don't know whether the lass has yet drowned, but she's certain to have run out of food if she took some with her. She ran off east though, so she woudn't have reached here. I don't know what lies on the east side of the bay, or if there are even people there." Charles flashed his sly grin that Mr. Burks loathed.

"I do. There's the province of Matalla. It's a very poor supplied little place, but the folk aren't anything friendly. Except for one family. The Irns. They live along the shore in a miserable little home of clay with a thatched roof. They will have surely taken her off the streets, or will when she gets there. The girl is vital to your plan, and I have an idea of how to make her come without a fight." Cursoe sat with a mirror image of Charles' grin.

"Do tell, but please don't be so corny."

***
The morning was bright and warm in Matalla. Veronica was woken by Erin and Julia prancing down the stairs to breakfast. When they saw her on the couch they stopped momentarily, as if they had forgotten the previous day, and then remembered, and continued to trot downstairs.

"Are you awake?" said Julia dancing over to the table in the middle of the room where Veronica's hat lay. She took the hat and put it on Veronica's head.

"I am now," said Veronica yawning and sitting up. The girls sat on either side of her and smiled, expectingly. Veronica looked at each of the happy little faces before taking the pillows from behind them and smushing them with the pillows. She got up and ran to the kitchen, where Mrs. Irn was making toast and bacon. Laughter drifted from the living room followed by the little girls. They came with Veronica's coat and boots. She gave into putting the boots on, but she refused to wear the coat in the house.

"Go hang it up like good little girls," she ordered them playfully. The adoring girls went off to do as told.

"Well, you certainly seem to be getting along very nicely with them," said Mrs. Irn gaily. Veronica looked down at her (for Veronica was a very tall lady and Mrs. Irn was rather short) and smiled.

"I have a soft spot for redheaded little girls," she replied, for all the girls in the Irn family had red hair.

Their Monday morning was spent in the market. It was the perfect place, Veronica thought. She had never gone to market before; it was improper for noble ladies to in Merthra. Mrs. Irn offered her one of her dresses, but Veronica preferred to stay in her sailor's attire, which she had become quite attatched to, though she borrowed a dress while Mrs. Irn cleaned it that morning ("I will not let you go out in public with dirty clothes that haven't been changed for five days!" was Mrs. Irn's excuse). Erin and Julia insisted upon acting as though Veronica was their older sister, which she didn't mind at all, and held her hand as they walked through the square. Veronica feasted her eyes on the colors and sounds and all the food and crafts being sold. At one stand a man was giving samples away of his wife's baked goods. Veronica couldn't resist a raspberry jam cake which she hadn't had in what felt like ages. The Irns were already at the next stand by the time she realized they weren't with her.

"Let's see girls, we have a lot of food now. Let's find a place to sit down and eat some of it," said Mrs. Irn at about midday. They sat down at a bench and unpacked some sandwiches from the many bags that they had.

"Veronica, how old are you?" asked one of the curious little girls. Veronica grinned at them and answered, "Nine-teen." The girls giggled and looked at each other around Veronica's back.

"What's so funny?" asked Veronica. The girls continued to giggle as she ate her sandwich.

"Mr. Brown down the street from us is aslo nineteen," they said. Veronica stopped with the sandwich halfway to her mouth.

"Mr. Brown?" she asked. The girls nodded.

"Ash Brown," they replied. Veronica looked at them.

"Does he have a brother?" she asked. The girls nodded again amidst their giggles.

"Yeah, his twin brother, Lee Brown." Veronica suddenly wasn't interested with her food. The two girls didn't know that Lee Brown had been her fiance that had died. she had failed to mention Lee's name when she told them her story, for fear she would choke up and cry.

"Can you take me to him?" asked Veronica. The girls turned to their mother.

"Mama?" they asked, "Could we take Veronica to Mr. Brown's house?" Their mother nodded yes with her mouth full of food, and they left.

Mr. Brown's house was identical to the Irn's house, as was every house in the dark little corner of town. They knocked on the wood door and waited for an answer. None came. They knocked again. Still no answer. At a third knock there came an answer, but not from where they expected.

"Mr. Brown at your service!" called a voice behind them. They all spun around. A young man was there, almost identical to Lee, carrying a pile of firewood in his arms. He smiled and addressed them.

"Would you mind opening my door for me, Miss Erin and Miss Julia? I don't have very free hands," he pointed out, nodding down at his arms. The two little redheads jumped to the door. Ash nodded again for Veronica to go in first.

"Sir, would you like help carrying that?" she asked politely. Ash handed her some wood, and let her go inside first.

"Is this your older brother?" he asked the Irn sisters. They shook their heads and corrected him. "She's our older sister. Not biologically, of course, but she's become part of our family as of yesterday. Her name's Veronica."

"Well Miss Veronica, I am Ash Brown, as you may already know from these fine little girls here," he said putting the firewood down by the fireplace. She followed suit. "This here, is my twin brother Lee." Veronica stopped for a moment as she looked where Ash was pointing. There was a man lying asleep on the couch in the living room where the front door opened up to, covered in a dark blue blanket that matched the couch. He was shivering in his sleep.

"He's not a well man, my brother. I was out in the bay, fishing, and I saw him floating in the water, apparently unconscious, and at first I thought he was dead. It turned out he was alive, but very ill. He said he was dumped in by pirates, and he had just been able to wrench his boots off with his hands tied and kicked himself to the surface, and then he went out of it." Veronica stood astonished, looking at Lee.

"I was there too," she said slowly. Ash looked at her.

"You were?" he asked.

"Yes, I was on the ship, and I saw them push him in, and I thought he had died. I was coming to tell you that he was dead. I'm very glad that I don't have to tell you that anymore." The two girls came and hugged Veronica around the waist, for that was as far up as they could reach.

"Lee's your boyfriend?" they asked her. Veronica nodded. She went over to Lee, and brushed the hair out of his eyes as she had done countless times before. He shuddered and opened his eyes.

"Who are - Veronica?!" he said, half alarmed, half joyfull. She smiled and touched his hand. He sat up quickly, and embraced her lovingly.

"How did you get off the ship?" he asked happily. Veronica went into another explanation about her adventures. Lee took his turn and told his from his own point of view.

"I've been thinking of you, and hoping that you weren't dead." Veronica laughed at the seriousness in his voice.

"You sure got very lucky. And you sound like lover's do in plays, but you didn't save me. Anyway, the world must really love you to let you have the rare stroke of luck you did, though I see you've paid pretty well for it, with the condition you're in." Veronica rolled her eyes at how the tide had turned on her side.

They spent the afternoon talking together in the living room and laughing. Unfortunatly for Veronica, Lee was not quite himself, and talked in ways he had never talked before - they were alway cliche responses she got instead of the amusing or witty responses she longed for. But as long as Lee was alive, she was happy.

The sun began to set, and so Veronica had to take the girls home.

"I'll come back tomorrow, is that all right with you Ash?" she said before she left.

"You're welcome anytime, just so long as you don't kill us," joked Ash back. Veronica laughed and left.

[Keira]

Chapter 8

Lee made a quick recovery and soon was up and walking again. Veronica was near pulling her hair out over the sappy fiance she had while he was ill, and was most pleased when she had the witty and amusing one that had left her from Merthra.

***
It was several weeks later when they were at the market taking their weekly trip that Ash and Lee ran up to them after going down to the bay to catch some fish.

"The water is rippling, but not a boat is out on it. The shore was nearly empty but for a few old fisherman and us. There's no doubt a storm coming. I'm sure as I am Ash of it," said Ash as his brother jogged up beside him. As if on cue, the wind picked up and blew Mrs. Irn's hat clean off her head. They stood and watched as it blew down the alley between the houses and caught on a bush. Erin ran after it.

"Erin! Come back here! It's just a hat!" called her mother, holding her bags close to her. Veronica took her own hat off and jogged over to Erin. She didn't like the feeling of the alleyway at all, and the black cat that streaked by was even worse, even though she wasn't at all superstisious.

"Hold my hat," she ordered as she picked Erin up around the waist and brought her back to the family. "We'd best leave before it starts raining, and that means we should leave soon, for it looks as though the sponge insn't going to hold much longer." Mr. and Mrs. Irn agreed and they started back towards the house, just as the clouds released everything they had in them.

"Hurry, hurry! Inside!" said Veronica, ushering the girls in the house while holding her had on her head. She held the door for the rest of the family and Lee and Ash is first while she held the door, as she was the best covered. She stepped inside and closed the door as the first roll of thunder boomed overhead.

"Well," said Mrs. Irn as they all sat down at the dining room table, "It's just about time for supper anyway, so I'll get that ready right now. In the mean time, there's still some warm water in the kettle from this morning, so I'll just heat that up which will only take a minute or two, and then we can have some tea."

Dinner was quiet, and eneventful. No one had much to say - and if they did, they needed to shout to be heard over the now raging storm, which flared up suddenly.

"Ash and Lee, I don't want you going out in the storm there is now," said Mrs. Irn after Erin and Julia had gone to bed. "I'll see if we can find you a place to sleep. We’d happily let you use the couch, but that’s where Veronica is sleeping, so that won’t be very comfortable. But I think we can find you some pillows and a few thick blankets that you can sleep on. The guest room upstairs is no place for a man to sleep. There was a terrible leak in there a few months ago, and we’re not sure whether certain parts of the floor are safe to walk on. We had to get rid of the bed too because it was too moldy. Dreadfully sorry about it.

“Not a problem, Whilma. Ash and I are tough men, aren’t we, Ash?” said Lee, smiling. Veronica chuckled.

***
Veronica woke in the middle of the night and knew something was wrong. Very wrong. The storm had stopped, but silence seemed much worse then than the noise of the storm. She put on her hat and coat, buckled her sword belt around her waist (she had not neglected to leave her sword when she ran from the pirate ship) and went outside. It was quiet and still, and nothing stirred, not even the wind. She crept around the corner, and into the alleyway she had carried Erin from. Mrs. Irn's hat was absent from the bush, and lying a ways down the alley. Veronica went and picked it up, amazed the wind hadn't blown it out to the sea.

"I'm sure Mrs. Irn would like her hat back Lass," said a familiar voice from behind the high bush. Veronica backed up as Captain Cursoe stepped out from behind it. "I'll take that back for her," he said, advancing on her. Veronica drew her sword, and held it in front of her.

"Why are you here?" she asked, sounding a lot braver than she felt. Cursoe grinned and laughed maniacally.

"Why do you ask?" he replied. Veronica stood, her feet feeling like lead. She didn't answer.

"Why do you ask, again?" he repeated. Veronica cracked her neck and answered, "Because you've waited so long, I thought you couldn't possibly remember me, seeing as you're drunk half the time." Cursoe laughed again.

"So, you think I don't know who you are, Veronica. Now tell me, how did Lee escape the water?" Veronica stopped, remembering how Lee and Ash weren't on the living room floor when she left, like they were when they all went to sleep. She knew Cursoe had done something to them.

"I don't know what you mean," she said, taking the ignorant aproach.

"Oh, I think you do. I think you know perfectly well what I mean, because if possibly you didn't, than you probably wouldn't know why two of the two Brown brothers were sleeping on the floor ten feet from you. And if you didn't know, then you also wouldn't know how two of the two Brown brothers were at your house during the storm today. Do you know what I am talking of now?" Veronica remained as stubborn as a rusty nail.

"Brown is a fairly common name, I've heard, in Matalla. There are probably fifty Browns, and chances are there is more than one pair of Brown brothers. The ones I am thinking of could just not be the ones you are. And also, you saw Lee die, just as I did. He wouldn't have survived without us seeing him come up to the surface, so how could he be alive?" Veronica twitched her blade.

"Well, if that be the case, than you must not be nearly as close as you are with these Browns, so you wouldn't mind if I just..." he said, trailing off as Lee and Ash were pushed out from behind the corner of the house, hands in shackles, by the fat pirate, who had two revolvers pointed at there heads.

"Lee!" shouted Veronica at her fiance, "Lee! You're alive?" Lee looked at her strangely. While Cursoe looked at him, Veronica quickly mouthed, "I'm pretending," and it dawned on Lee what she was doing.

"I am. My kind brother rescued me while he was out fishing," he said, helping her out. Veronica grinned as though she hadn't seen him in a century, and sheathing her sword, ran up and hugged him, knowing that Cursoe wouldn't dare hurt her, for then his plan would fail.

"Oh, Lee!" she cried, "I thought you were dead!" Veronica forced tears out of her eyes, and sniffed as if joyed to tears. She hoped dearly that Cursoe was drunk again as he usually was, she had found out from her days on his ship.

"Now Lass, what of the Irns? Would you mind if I killed 'em?" said the Captain, nodding at the family as they were also thrown out, on pirate to each of them, and they too were in shackles. Veronica raised her eyebrows, and stepped back.

"I have no idea who they are, so it wouldn't matter to me what you did with them," she said passively. Cursoe grinned and nodded again. The pirates holding each of the Irns held their guns up closer to the heads or their captives and set them up. One fired, and purpsefully missed, hitting the Irn's house instead. Veronica gasped loudly, and the fragile wall of the house came crashing down from the shot. It was a miracle no one heard. The empty living room and dining room were seen after the smoke cleared, and Veronica knew she had given her affection for the Irns away. Cursoe laughed cruelly. She unsheathed her sword again

"I thought you would mind. So I have a deal for you," he said.

"Do tell," she said, lowering her sword and taking a step back. Cursoe grinned still.

"I need you to get to the governor, aye?" he said. Veronica nodded. "Then," he continued, "I would need you to be alive to follow through with my plan, aye?" She nodded again. "So, I can't hurt you, or it would not work, aye?" Veronica nodded and rolled her eyes.

"The point?" she said, tightening her grip on her sword, growing impatient. Cursoe gestured with his head towards the Irns and the Browns.

"I will, in return of your taking me to the governor, and telling me everything you know about him, and using your connection with him to aid me in my plan to kill him, not kill your friends, and leave this anarchy to be a peasant place instead of a pirate port. However, you know that I will kill the governor and take over Merthra anyway, no matter what. You would just make my murder of the governor easier. But I will only leave them after you follow through with helping me to the me. Until then, this city will be monitered by part of my crew, and your friends will have a spot on my new ship - the Dark Waters."

"Your request is great. But I suppose I can oblige. About the Dark Waters, where are its previous owners?" replied Veronica. Cursoe smirked.

"Let us just say that there are no more half pirate vikings in this world anymore," he said and laughed his maniacal laugh that Veronica loathed. Veronica looked over his shoulder at Ash and Lee. Ash made the very slightest shake of his head. She looked to Mr. Irn who did the same. Then she caught the gaze of Erin and Julia. They looked very pathetic with their hands cuffed and their hair damp from the rain before. Obviously it had not stopped raining until just before she woke up. She paused debating the consequence of each decision.

"I am waiting," said Captain Cursoe impatiently. Veronica still thought for a long time.

"Take me to your ship," she said finally, "And I will make my decision before sunset tomorrow." The captain grinned, looked down and leaned his head to one side.

"Do you really think I have the patience for that? he asked. "But wait! There's more to it than you think. If I take Merthra, that includes you, because even though you have been living in Matalla for a few weeks, you are still a true citizen of Merthra. And since I am going to take over Merthra anyway, it doesn't matter; you'll still become part of a pirate port." Veronica stopped, and felt tears trickle down her cheeks. She looked at her friends again and then looked back at the captain.

"Where's the ship anchored? I'm coming."

[Keira]

Chapter 9

Cursoe licked his lips and grinned.

"Excellent, Lass. Top notch decision. Now, take them to the Dark Waters!" he called madly at the rest of his crew which emerged from behind the house. A skinny pirate in raggedy clothes came and took Veronica's sword and sheath and put them around his own waist. A clink of metal locked the cuffs around her wrists, and the pirate pulled out a gun from his belt and aimed it at her as she walked in front of him. Veronica felt incredibly stupid, like one of those fairy tale characters captured by the bad guy. She never liked fairy tales.

"Alright! You have my leave to go into every house and kill only ONE person from each, and make stealthy-like. Take the rest to the execution block. They have a large supply of shackles, and a fairly large prison. You know what to do from there, if I don't sound too cliché." Veronica whipped around, smacking the pirate in the face with her hair, quite by accident.

"You said you would leave them alone!" she shouted at him as loud as she could. "You said you would just take me to your bloody ship!" Cursoe cackled and moved his chin to one side.

"So I did," he said, "But as you said, I only said it. I didn't swear. And further more, I said I would leave them alone - but I didn't specify for how long. I've left them alone as sure as my name's Cursoe. I left them alone for as long as I've been alive. It's now that I've stopped. Right now. I have kept my bargain." Veronica turned around as the rifle the skinny pirate was holding jabbed into her back, and he led her back to the ship.

***
There were no little wooden doors in this ship. Instead there were real jail cells with iron bars, and they were positioned in a row along the middle of the room. She, to her surprise, was not locked up, however the Irns and Browns were, each in a seperate little cell. Veronica sighed as she was taken out of the room and down another set of stairs to an even lower level. There were doors all along the hallway like the other ship, but they were spaced out farther and they were along each side of the hallway instead of just one.

The skinny pirate pushed her along the hallway to the end where there was a large wooden door, and a knocker made of gold, in the shape of a shark twisting into a U. he knocked, and when there was no response, he poked his head in. Veronica gathered that no one was inside when he turned her around and marched her back up the stairs. They went down the celled corridor and at the and was an alcove with a door on the side. They went inside the door, in which was space about the size of a coat closet. On the wall they faced was another door. Veronica was surprised at how many rooms they could pack into one ship.

Presently, they came into a room that was much brighter than the rest of the ship. The walls were painted pale green with blue paint splashed on the bottom to look like waves. A bookcase crawled three quarters of the way up the wall to the left, and on top was a model ship. The wall in front of them had a window with yellow shears pulled back to the sides (which very much surprised Veronica). In front of it was a large oak desk at which sat Cursoe.

"The l-l-lady as you o-o-ordered, capt-tain," stammered the skinny pirate with excitement. Veronica rolled her eyes at him and wrenched her hands from his grip, which was very hard to do when her hands were locked together.

"Aye, many thanks, Bings," said Cursoe and beckoned Veronica closer as the skinny pirate left. "Veronica my darling, come over to my desk." She merely took a small step towards the door. "Veronica, Lass, ye ain't gettin' out with half my crew guarding the cells in the room right outside, eh? Now while your here, you might as well tell me something that could assist me with my scheme to take Merthra, aye? Couldn't yaw?" Veronica held her head up and replied, "I can tell you nothing until you get your men out of Matalla." Cursoe grinned and laughed to himself.

"I thought you'd be saying something of that sort. And if you did (and since you have) I have a use for the rope and the serpent's head. The viking leader, Kirs, said it makes an excellent noose. Mr. Lee's neck would fit into it perfectly." Veronica's heart pounded inside her chest.

"His army doesn't cover the land entrence," she blurted out. Cursoe laughed louder.

"Good! I thought we could come to some agreement. Now tell me more," he said, placing his hands together on the desk. Veronica closed her eyes and tried to remember more.

"The entrence not protected is about twenty miles from any water a ship can pass through safetly, and there aren't any roads that you would be able to cross through without getting caught and beheaded." Cursoe grinned once more.

"Well, I won't be needing to be getting to the governor. It's you that'll be doing it. I know that no one would mind if you went anywhere." Veronica stood stock still.

"You are the one that'll be walking around in Merthra, and you'll be the one that'll be sneaking aroun' the governor's land, and you'll be the one to be doing the..." His voice trailed off. Veronica was just standing there, in horror at what he was asking her to do.

"You want me -- ?" she began. Cursoe was smirking creully, and cackled. Veronica turned and ran from the room into the cell chamber. The pirates were outside the room, thankfully, and she told Lee everything Cursoe had told her while the Irns and Ash listened.

"Lee, I didn't know I would have to do this," she said sobbing with both hands cluthing the bars of the cell (for her hands were locked together still). Lee reached through the bars and put his hand on her shoulder and used the other to lift her chin.

"Veronica, I can't tell you what to do, because I'm not clear of the whole situation myself, but whatever you do, nothing terribly worse could happen, so don't feel too pressured. Things'll turn out fine. C'mon, how bad can it be?" Veronica tried to laugh at what he said, but it was very hard to.

"I just want to go home. That's all. I want to see Father and - I can't believe I'm saying this but - Charles." Veronicas tears started afresh when she thought of what would have happened if she had just listened to her father and went and told Governor Banks about Lee, and how much better things could have turned out.

"You won't be seeing Charles again, and I don't think you want to," said Cursoe stepping out from the door. He let his head hang to one side, while his hands hid quietly in his pockets.

"Why not?" asked Veronica. Cursoe stepped casually closer.

"Charles, or Selrahc as we call him on our ship, has tragically died. But if he were alive, you wouldn't want to see him. You see, he's the little birdy that told me about you and your connection with the governor. He's the one who told me brave Lee was your fiance. He told me you'd do anything for your poor little Lee, and how stubborn Lee was. He told me you were in Matalla with the Irns, and that in time, you would discover Ash, and would become good friends with them. He's been a great help in my little evil scheme. However, I didn't know that we would have Lee here on our ship until I met you at the Irns. We've been friends since way back when, when there were pirates all over the sea. That was a long time ago." Cursoe looked in space, reminiscing the times of old.

"How did Charles tell you all this? He's been at our house a long time, and he's never left. Ever," said Veronica, loathing that scrubby beard and everything that went with it.

"You're right; he never left. But that don't mean someone can't come to him. This here is Eurat," he said, gesturing to the doorway as the black cat that ran down the alley the previous day came skulking out. "She's been doing my work for me; sneaking through the air shafts to Charles' room and delivering messages, and telling me what's going on. Very useful, knowing how to speak Cat. Interesting language. You should learn it." Veronica clenched her fists, furious at Cursoe. She wanted to see him dead and gone. She lunged at him, her hand going for his neck, but he drew his sword and slashed her arm leaving a shallow cut, running from her elbow to her wrist. Blood stained the white shirt she wore as she looked in shock at her arm.

"I'll be killing you before you kill me!" shouted Cursoe. He grabbed the back of her neck and held her face terribly close to his. She wrinkled her nose in disgust as he opened his mouth to speak to her, but someone cut him off.

"We've spotted Merthra, Captain!" called a pirate from up on deck, leaning down the stairs. Cursoe dropped Veronica to the floor and went up on deck to see.

[Keira]

Chapter 10

Veronica trembled as she watched the ship disappear into the black depths of the night. She was alone in the little dingy, which presently bumped up against the dock. Her hands shook as she reached into the bottom of the boat and pulled out the revolver she was supplied with.

"I can't believe I'm doing this, I really can't!" she said, tucking it into her pants. She breathed deeply and sighed. Out in the water was a small rowboat with the skinny pirate in it, dressed as a commoner, watching her through binoculars. Veronica stepped out of the boat and onto the dock. The night was silent as she went up the path to the gate to the city. There were several guards waiting for her.

"Name?" said one coming up to her.

"Veronica Burks. Daughter of Kirk Burks. Would you tell him I've arrived, if you'd be so kind?" she answered, pulling her coat around her tighter as the chill night breeze blew, though it was really to cover her weapon. The guard nodded to the another guard who was sitting on the wall. That guard jumped down on the other side and proceeded down the road.

"You'll have to wait while we get Mr. Burks, unless you have some form of identification," said the guard. Veronica nodded and pulled out a chain from her pocket with hand gripping a twisted rope.

"Here's our family symbol," she said, dropping the chain into the guard's hand and crossing her arms again. The guard looked at it and jerked his head at the remaining guard.

"Kenroy, look up the Burks in the book," said the guard. Kenroy unlocked the gate and went through to a trunk on the other side, which he unlocked and took out a large census book of Merthra.

"May I have the chain, Hedmund?" called Kenroy to the guard. Hedmund tossed the chain over the gate to his partner, and he looked in the book.

"She's part of the Burks, Hedmund. The pendant matches the picture in the Book." Hedmund reluctantly let Veronica through.

The streets were silent as the grave, and twice as dark. Veronica could hardly see her way down the road, but she didn't need to; since she had grown up on these roads, she knew most of them by heart.

She turned left off the main road and onto a narrower road, with grander houses, whites and pale yellows in colour. She came to her own home down at the end of the street, and went up to it's oaken front door, and stroked it's smooth surface lovingly. It had been over a month since she had seen it. After standing a moment, gazing at home smiling, Veroinca went inside. The house was dimly lit, with only a few candle brackets lit along the wall. No one was around.

Veronica went upstairs to her room. There, sitting on her bed, running his hands along her quilt, was Mr. Burks. When he saw her he immediatly jumped up and embraced Veronica, bursting into silent tears. Veronica hugged him back, crying herself.

"Charles told me you had killed yourself," said her father, holding his daughter. Veronica stepped back, the moment of joy suddenly disappearing.

"Charles is dead," she told through her tears. "He was against us anyway." Mr. Burks had a peculiar expression on his face.

"No. He's not. He's in the Butler's room next door. I saw him in there just a moment ago." Veronica furrowed her brown and thought for a moment.

"Charles didn't do it then! Where is he? I need to see him." Veronica turned and entered the Butler's Room without a knock or anything. She would have gotten no reply if she had knocked; he was sitting with his back to the door in a chair with a pot of tea on the coffee table, and when Veronica went over to talk to him, he was dead.

She turned quickly to her father. "We must see the governor tomorrow. I must." Veronica turned and closed the door in her father's face. She stood a moment, closed her eyes, and let tears stream down her face, as she anticipated her task she was to complete the next day, which came all too soon.

***
"Father, are we seeing the governor today?" she asked over breakfast. She gazed past her father out the window, unable to make eye contact with him. The skinny pirate was watching, peering over the corner at her. Mr. Banks sat, oblivious to what was going on behind him, eating his ham and toast.

"Yes, we are going right after breakfast." Veronica bit her lip and sighed. She looked back at the window, but the pirate had disappeared.

***
The governor's house was a rather huge place. It was white with large cedarwood double doors and a blue awning over the doorway. Veronica felt her feet get heavier with each step, and all the while she knew that the skinny pirate was watching her. They knocked on the doors, and waited for an answer. An old man in a black tailcoat and white knee-highs answered the door.

"Who may I inform the governor has arrived?" he asked, straightening his monocle. Veronica answered.

"Inform the governor that Kirk and Veronica Burks have arrived with information regarding him, and that we request to see him immediately." The man bowed and left. He returned a couple minutes later and said, "The governor will see no one unless by appointment, even those he holds in high regards." Veronica stepped up to him.

"I need to see him. Take me to him now. It concerns him grately and I need to see him immediately." She had an expression of such importance and urgency that the man instantly bowed and beckoned them inside. He took them through the enterance hall and down another corridor. They entered a large room with a large wood table with a golden cloth. At the head sat the governor alone, eating his breakfast.

"Governor Banks, sir, I have brought the two visitors. They insist it is an emergency." The old man bowed and left. They were left with the governor, a plump man in a revolting tweed suit and a bowler. His legs were so short they were sticking straight out in front of him as he sat.

"Governor Banks sir," said Mr. Burks, "My daughter has some news for you." He nodded to Veronica who spoke.

"Governor Banks, this is regarding the robbery that happened a little over a month ago. I know who did it, why, and some other things about it. Will you let me tell you?" she inquired. The governor made no response besides a grunt, which Veronica took as a yes. Then she explained her story to him, leaving out the part where she was supposed to kill him.

"Governor, I know where the ship is right now. If you send your men out, I can lead you to them, and then you can get rid of the last pirates in the world!" Veronica paused and looked for a response. None came. The governor was licking his fingers in a dignified manor after eating his bacon.

"Governor Banks, sir, will you?" Veronica pleaded. The governor shrugged and reached over his plate rudly for some ham. Veronica knew she couldn't get away with that as a yes, so she stood up and slammed her hands on the table.

"Governor Banks, were you even listening?" she shouted. The governor dropped his ham in alarm and sat up straight.

"I - erm - I suppose I could," he mumbled. Veronica sat back down and kept her eyes fixed on him.

"I'll need you to come too," she said, reaching for a roll and taking a bite. The governor placed his napkin on the table and stood up.

"Mr. Tilton, I need to see the Head of Arms!" ordered the Governor to the old man that had brought Veronica and Mr. Burks in.

The Head of Arms was a young man with a brown jacket and a wide brimmed hat with a feather on it. He came in and stood up straight.

"Mr. Purts, please get your army in the boats by midafternoon. I will meet you at the dock." The Head of Arms left at the governor's order.

***
Veronica remained at the Governor's house throughout the day until they were ready to leave at dusk. She trembled as she stepped into the lead boat with her father and the governor. They rowed out to the mouth of Merthra's small harbor where two mountains jutted out like two teeth closing around the opening. It was dark by the time they reached the pirate ship which had anchored on the other side of the mountain to the left, all the lanterns unlit.

They were around the very base of the mountain, close to the ship. The fleet crept silently closer when there was the loud cracking sound of a gunshot. Veronica grabbed her left upper arm in excruciating pain and looked to where the sound was. There was the skinny pirate with a gun, preparing for another shot. Quickly, Veronica whipped the gun from her own belt and fired. Everything seemed a blur as the governor fell dead on the boat next to her. Veronica stared at what she did as the Head of Arms scrambled onto her boat and handcuffed her, shouting orders to the rest of the army. Veronica watched as another officer splashed water onto the body of Governor Banks, unable to bring him back to life. Her father was looking at her with an expression that dove down into Veronica's heart and pierced it. She wanted desperately to explain, but the officers pulled onto another boat and turned back to shore as the rest of the fleet flooded onto the ship. Veronica pulled at the officer's grip and tried to go back, he had a grip of steel.

[Keira]

Chapter 11

Veronica sat in the boat with the Head of Arms, cursing under her breath. Her companion shook his head as he rowed with his back to her, and otherwise payed no attention to her. Veronica did not the fact that he was ignoring an invalid like herself, so she began cursing louder. The Head of Arms stopped and talked with his back to her.

"Miss Burks, I am well aware of your condition, however, I see no point in getting you physical aid when you shall be beheaded tomorrow morning." He continued to row again.

"But, Mr. Purts, I'm sure you are also well aware of the fact that lack of blood could make one faint and --" began Veronica.

"And therefore make my job easier," interrupted the rower. "If I took you to see a physician it would only make my job harder for I would have to stay there to make sure you wouldn't make a run for it, and then I would have to pay. You see, it works out better for me. And if I'm lucky, the executioner might be spared a head and the guillotine a cleaning." He continued again to row. By the time they got to shore the Head of Arms was quite through with her arguing and stuffed her mouth with his tie.

"I don't think you'd live to see the new jail cells that were added while you were away, Miss Burks, if I hadn't done that. Hated that tie anyway. Scum, just like you." He watched her as she fell face first onto the dock while getting out of the boat (which is a very difficult thing to do with hands tied), her hat falling at his feet as she did so. She struggled to get to her feet like an ant until he grabbed her hands behind her back and pulled her up. As soon as she got her footing she yanked herself away from him, wishing he were dead.

"Don't be in such a rush, Miss Burks," taunted the Head of Arms, "the jail is right inside the gate." Veronica faltered as the fatigue of blood loss began coming upon her with rapid speed. She suddenly felt very ill and threw up over the edge of the dock, the tie going along with her supper.

"Mr. Purts, if I swore to pay for a physician, how would you like to take me to one?" she said. He stopped with his back to her (she found it funny how whenever he answered his back was turned).

"Veronica, there's a point that you must ask yourself, 'is it worth it?' Paying for a physician when you're going to die anyway is not a legitimate use for one's money." Veronica stood, swaying slightly, and started up again with her arguing.

"But, Mr. Purts, I would save me the trouble of watching blood spurting out of a hole in my arm, which is exactly what it is doing right now. Besides, I'll also pay you twenty-seven gold coins, which I know is how much you are paid in a week. What say you?" Veronica waited for a response, but she didn't get one before she fainted.

***
She woke up on the cold stone bench of the jail cell feeling woozy and nauseated. Veronica remained on the bench and looked down at her left arm.

"Dingbat!" she muttered as she ripped of her wounded arm's sleeve off and wrapped it around it as a temporary bandage.

It was very dark and musty smelling, the jail was. There was a tiny barred window in the corner of each cell that she could only see out of if she stood up on the bench, which she did. The sky was a shadow, casting itself forebodingly over the guillotine, the moon glinting evilly on the smooth blade. Veronica gulped down the terrible feeling of despair and looked beyond it at the water that rippled in the cool breeze. She sat down as the chill of it ran down her spine, and she sighed.

A dark shadow covered the beam of moonlight that crept through the window. Veronica jumped up in alarm and peered out the window. It was empty. She sat back down, only to jump back up as the shadow reappeared and spoke, “Veronica!” She stood up again and found herself very close to Julia’s face.

“Oh, hello Julia!” she said. Craning her neck she could just barely see that Julia was standing on top of Ash’s shoulders. “Hello,” she called down to him. He responded with a grunt while keeping Julia balanced.

“Why’re you here?” Veronica asked, her expression of utter surprise. They came with no tools of grand escape, or even looks of it. It was just them two standing in the middle of the courtyard alone. Ash was the one that answered, panting heavily in between breaths.

“We’re here -- to let you know -- that even if we can’t come up with the grand escape plan that you hoped we would come up with -- and you do get your head lopped off, -- we still saved your hat.” Veronica laughed and tossed her hair out of her eyes, wishing dearly that she were down there with him.

“Where are the others?” she asked. Julia answered this time.

“We sent them to the Black Beatle. Since the bartender ain’t there, they shouldn’t have any problem.” Veronica sighed, and in spite of all her woes, she smiled and was very happy that they had come to see her.

“Tell Lee that I’m sorry if we can’t get married, unless he wants to marry the Headless Nobel!” she called as they got down. But as she watched Ash wave good-bye to her as he walked away, she wasn’t all that sure she was as sorry as she thought she was.

***
Morning, it seemed, came sooner than Veronica could blink. Bright sunshine streamed through the window, announcing that her death was nigh. She stood up on the bench, hoping that for some wild reason, Ash or Lee would be there to save her. Her hopes were in vain. The only thing there was in the courtyard was the guillotine glinting as murderously as ever in the sun. Her gaze fell on the basin on the guillotine. She felt a terrible burning sensation in her throat and vomited through the barred window. She wiped her mouth with her remaining sleeve and rubbed it against the edge of the window.

“A cruel thing life is,” said a voice behind her. She whirled around to see Mr. Purts. He stepped up to the bars, his hands behind his back. “It gives you everything you could want – a fiancé, friends – and then it takes them away from you. It’s a shame that all of you have to die – or maybe it’s fortunate. Now they don’t have to live with the pain of knowing their dearest friend is dead.” Veronica was immediately at the bars of the cell.

“What are you going to do with them?” she demanded. This was about the third or fourth time she had asked a question like that over the past month.

“They face the guillotine too, dear,” he said with a fixed grin on his face. Veronica backed up into the bench and sat, bubbling with hatred for him.

“What are they found guilty of?” she asked, staring at the air in front of her face. The Head of Arms took a slip of paper from his pocket.

“Ashe and Lee Brown,” he read, “Harry, Whilma, Erin, and Julia Irn – charged with disloyalty to the Governor Purts -- ”

“You’re governor!” gasped Veronica incredulously. Mr. Purts went on as though she hadn’t interrupted him.

“ – after being captured and branded as Captured Citizens, or citizens of a different province that were forced into citizenship of Merthra. The punishment is execution by beheading.” He ended and put the paper back in his pocket.

“Since when have they been Captured Citizens?” asked Veronica, standing up and striding the ten feet over to the door.

“Since last night, after you were taken here. I have proof of their citizenship.” Mr. Purts took out several other pieces of paper and read the first one.

The undersigned, Lee Brown, is hereby bonded by citizenship to Merthra. Any disloyalty, treason, or betrayal will result in beheading. If this citizen is found guilty of any of these, any authority with the power to arrest any man may arrest this man and take him immediately to prison without trial or judgment. He is then to be executed as early as the next day.

Being a Captured Citizen, this man must obey the following laws as well as any laws a normal citizen of Merthra is obliged to follow.

- He does not have authority to live in the uptown – he must live in the baytown. If any man branded with CC (or Captured Citizen) and is living in a house uptown, he is sentenced to prison, or even death.

- He cannot have license to work in a profession that requires education. If any man branded with CC (or Captured Citizen) is found with license to work in a profession that requires education, he is sentenced to prison or even death.

- He does not have authority to own property in Merthra. If any man branded with CC (or Captured Citizen) is found with property of Merthra in his possession, he is sentenced to prison, or even death.

- He cannot be enlisted in any form of education. If any man branded with CC (or Captured Citizen) is found enlisted in any form of education, he is sentenced to prison, or even death.

If this man is found violating any of these rules, along with any of the rules a normal citizen is entitled, he is sentenced to prison, or even death.

All of the others were the same with the Irns' and Ash’s name instead of Lee’s. Veronica stared at Mr. Purts, absorbing the information. However, it leaked out of her mind like a squeezed sponge. She wanted to hurt him, badly. Not physically, but emotionally like he had just done to her.

“You’re friends,” continued Mr. Purts, “have shown disloyalty to Merthra by fighting against the army after they were branded last night as Captured Citizens. I will be back at nine to take you to the courtyard where you and your friends will be beheaded." He left, leaving Veronica to herself, while she thought it over, to upset to shed any tears.

[Keira]

Chapter 12

Veronica felt disturbed as she walked into the courtyard. It was empty but for the Irns and Browns that stood against the wall behind the guillotine, which seemed, now that there wasn’t a wall and bars in-between them, like the Angel of Death, waiting to beckon them into the dark abyss. The basin at the bottom of it stood greedy and expectantly. She swallowed nervously and proceeded to the wall with the others, Mr. Purts shadowing her. As she reached it, people began coming into the courtyard – nobles, and other people requested to come to executions.

"Ash thought of a plan, we're not going to be decapitated," she muttered to herself, "The blade isn't going to come down. It's stuck. They won't be able to get it to go down. Oh, I really hope they don't have axes to cut our heads off. Axes are so much worse than guillotines. Much worse. Never mind, I hope Ash didn't do anything. I don't want to have someone else chop off my head. No, that won't do."

"Shut up!" shouted the guard from under his black mask as he chained her to the wall. Veronica immediately stopped mumbling and remained silent.

Veronica looked up after being chained like the rest of them, and felt a deadweight drop into her stomach. In the front of the crowd, talking to another noble stood her father. She tried to cover her face with her hair and look away. It was obvious he didn’t know she was one of the eight to be beheaded; otherwise he would be rushing up to her and saying things of comfort.

Veronica gasped and turned quickly as he caught her glance momentarily. She looked at him out of the corner of her eye and saw him still deeply immersed in conversation with the man next to him, apparently making nothing of their eye contact. Another guard passed her.

“Please!” she called to him, “May I speak to my father before I die?” The guard turned back to her and gruffly held her by the cheeks and looked at her. He grunted and let go, nodding to Mr. Burks. Veronica’s father looked surprised and proceeded over to him. The two men talked in low voices before Mr. Burks went over to Veronica.

“Why do you want to see me?” he asked her. Veronica looked puzzled.

“You’re my father. Why wouldn’t I want to see you?” she replied. He looked over her shoulder at the wall.

“I am no father, and I have no children. My only daughter died last night.” Veronica looked into his eyes, but he refused to make contact.

“No,” she said quietly, shaking her head slowly, “I’m not dead. I will be in about an hour though. Then you really won’t have a daughter. But won’t you comfort the daughter that you have before she dies?” Mr. Burks switched to look over the other shoulder.

“I only had one daughter and she died last night, like I told you. How can I comfort the dead?” Veronica felt a tear roll down her cheek. It ran into her voice, and another one followed.

“Father,” she said, touching his shoulders with her chained hands, “I’m not dead, won’t you listen? Is it because I killed the governor that I’m dead to you? I had to! I can’t explain it now, but eventually you’ll understand. It was to save Matalla and us! Please, I’m alive!” Her father merely turned away and began back to his spot in the crowd.

“Please Father!” she cried to him, “I’m not dead! Listen to me!” Tears thickened in her eyes as Mr. Burks walked away. “Won’t you acknowledge your daughter before she dies? Please!” She leaned back against the wall, weeping at the ground.

Presently, a drum beat three times, sounding the beginning of the executions. The Head of Arms stood up on the block with a scroll in his hands. Veronica wished dearly for him to die along with them, and Cursoe and all the other pirates. She wanted time to turn back and none of this to happen. For Lee not to have stolen from the governor and for someone else to be in her position instead. It was all over; she and the rest had failed, and now the province would become a pirate port. Her father would soon realize why she had done what she had, and then he would wish he could have saved her. Veronica pushed the grim fate of the world to the side and focused on the Head of Arms.

“This day,” he began, “marks the day that these eight victims will receive their punishment of execution. Today, they will be placed upon the guillotine and beheaded for their wicked deeds and doings. May God have mercy on you and spare you from eternal punishment.

“I now summon a Mr. Lee Brown to the execution block.” There was booing and yelling from the audience as Lee stepped up next to Mr. Purt, who turned to him.

“Lee Brown, you are charged with disloyalty to the Merthranian Army. You have fought against us after being branded as a Captured Citizen. Will you show the audience and me your brand?” Veronica craned her neck to see, but as Mr. Purts held up Lee’s right wrist and the crowd booed and yelled more, she surrendered to the fact he was in fact branded. When the crowd simmered down, Mr. Purts continued.

“Mr. Brown!” he said, “You have a chance to renounce your charges, and be released to prison for a decade. Or you can not, and remain here for your execution.” The crowed began to chant, “Guillotine! Guillotine! Guillotine!”

“Mr. Brown, do you renounce your disloyalty to the Merthranian Army, and surrender to citizenship as a Captured Citizen?” The crowd held their breath and waited. After a moment Lee answered, “I do not.” Veronica felt the tears return to her eyes. Lee went around the back of the guillotine, and bent over, fitting his neck into the slot. Veronica’s tears streamed down her face silently, blurring her vision.

“Mr. Brown, you have chosen to die for your actions. Do you have any last decisions?” asked Mr. Purts, standing over Lee. Lee turned his head upwards and shook it. “Very well. You shall die here, today, in front of this crowd.” Veronica turned quickly away and covered her ears as a guard pulled the lever of the guillotine. The last of her tears faded, replaced by sorrow beyond them. She couldn’t look as two other guards took his body past them into the building. She sobbed tearlessly at the wall until they had gone.

“Mr. Purts!” she shouted, running up to him, shaking the guard away from her. “I beg you to let me go next! Please!” The Head of Arms ignored her and began reading the scroll again.

“I now summon a Mr. Ash Brown to the execution block.” The booing and yelling erupted from the crowd. Veronica ran up to him and smacked the scroll out of his hand furiously.

“Have you ever thought of why they were ‘disloyal’ to the Merthranian Army?” she shouted at Mr. Purts, hating his blood and guts, “Did you ever think that you brought it upon yourself? They don’t want to be citizens of Merthra! They just want to be from their own province and not have to follow unjust rules and laws! Right there, you just killed a man for fighting for his own province, not against yours.” Veronica could hardly believe what she was saying, but it was all pouring from her mouth. It was such a relief to get it off her chest, and yell at him, letting her hatred for him seep out orally. He stood there in shock at her action. There was silence for a moment.

“Very well. They may be set free. But you, Veronica, you are a legal citizen of Merthra by birth, and you have murdered the governor, so you still must pay your fair punishment. I would ask now that you take your place.” Veronica didn’t move.

“As a legal citizen of Merthra by birth, I have the right to a fair trial, of which you have denied me.” Mr. Purts merely picked up the scroll from the ground.

“Miss Burks,” he said, stepping closer to her, “you may be a legal citizen of Merthra by birth, but there is absolutely no way to reverse your actions as there was for the others. Therefore, you do not have the right to trial, and therefore you shall die here on this block today. Do you have anything else to say, or shall we commence with your punishment?” She took a step closer to him in turn.

“I do have something else to say,” she said, “and I shall not die without saying it. Whether or not I am a citizen of Merthra by birth, my allegiance lies in Matalla, and that is where I shall die. I shall not die in the filth of this unjust courtyard. I demand I be taken to Matalla to die.” She exchanged a quick glance with Ash as he passed by on his way out of the courtyard. He nodded and continued. Mr. Purts was too busy rolling up his scroll neatly to notice. He was so absorbed in it that, though Veronica thought it odd, he didn’t notice her slipping the gun out of his belt. She was astounded that he didn’t notice that she found it almost unfair of her to do so. Veronica set it up for fire, with her other hand dangling by the chain from her firing hand, just as he whirled around, hitting her sharply in the face. As he made to snatch the gun back, she turned, kicking his legs out from underneath him and ran as fast as she could off the block, ducking under the guards, and sprinting around the crowd, which backed away from her, frightened by the weapon in her hand. She scrambled over the wall and dashed down the street to the dock. The crowd began running after her, and she felt like she was some wild animal that had escaped from a zoo.

Adrenaline rushed through her veins and her heart pumped faster than it ever had before so that she was afraid it might explode. Her desire to get away from Merthra pushed her forward, though her legs ached and her side felt as though knives were running through it. Panting, she jumped into a boat, and untied it, pushing herself away from the shore. She rowed as fast as she could away from the dock, out to the mouth of the harbor.

The Dark Waters was there, but it was empty and dead feeling. As she climbed the ladder onto it, all was quiet. She went down below deck, but no one was there. The captain’s room was empty, but in the dark she saw something dark glistening as if a thick liquid. Veronica grimaced at the sight.

Realizing there was nothing to be had there on the ship, she slipped out of the door and made her way up on deck. She was just about to pull the ropes to lower the rowboat when a sword blade came in front of her.

"Ye ain't going anywhere without me." Veronica turned her head to see who was there. She found herself face to face with Captain Cursoe. She sighed with relief.

"I thought you were the Head of Arms," she said getting her grip again on the ropes. "You've nearly gotten me killed." She had almost forgotten in her mad escape the previous hour, and now it all rushed back to her. All of a sudden she felt the tears rush down her face, and collapsed into Cursoe with grief, hitting him again on his chest in her frustration.

"You - you - you - Just leave! Go away! I wish you were dead!" she screamed. Veronica gave up to herself and let herself go limp on Cursoe, who grabbed her arms to hold her up.

"Lass... Lass!" he said, "It's a terrible loss, but the time for tears ain't being now. Lets get the boat in the water and get going." Veronica didn't move. Cursoe gently pryed her hands off his arms for support and sat her down on a barrel of wine. She wiped her nose on her sleeve and went to help Cursoe pull the boat out.

"Ladies first," said the captain, gesturing to the boat. Veronica stepped in and they left the ship, sailing in the open sea.

"But Captain Cursoe, we don't have the provisions for open sea!" cried Veronica.

"No," replied Cursoe, "but those fine lads over there do." Veronica looked where Cursoe pointed. A grand ship with grey sails and an unpainted hull sailed twords them. Veronica gazed awstruck at its magnificence, what with the beautiful gold writing along the side reading the Black Rose glistening in the sunlight.

The rowboat pulled up to the ship and a ladder dropped down. Veronica climbed up, but as she reached the top rung, she slipped.

"No, I've come this far, I'm not going to die now!" she said furiously as she dangled by one hand. As she nearly lost her grip a rough hand cought hers romantically, and a voice said, "You know, you really got to be more careful, Veronica. Getting into all sorts of trouble." Veronica looked up at Ash and smiled. As she clambered up she threw her arms around him and held him as if the world would end if she let go. Veronica looked over his shoulder and saw the back of a familiar red head.

"Mrs. Irn?" she said, letting Ash go. The woman turned around and was indeed Whilma Irn. Veronica hugged her in turn and as the door opened to the belly of the ship, Harry Irn, Erin and Julia emerged. Veronica ran over and embraced them all, overflowing with happiness.

Her joy faded as she saw Ash at the edge of the ship, looking sadly at the distant mountains. Veronica stepped slowly over and stood beside him.

"I'm sorry about Lee. I know what you feel. I'm grieved too at our loss," said Veronica trying to comfort him and herself. Ash closed his eyes and thought for a moment.

"We might as well live on, with fond memories of our brother - or fiance - and not wallow in our grief, for as much as we do, I don't think he'll magically come back to life again. I just won't happen." Veronica could not argue with him, but left his side and went below deck, taking his words into herself.

~ TO BE CONTINUED IN A SECOND BOOK ~

[Gravity]

Yaaaaaay! I have a new novel to add to my summer reading list!

[Keira]

Didn't you already read this?